KOLOA — A man was arrested for allegedly strangling another person’s dog with a chain outside a residence on Sunday.
KOLOA — A man was arrested for allegedly strangling another person’s dog with a chain outside a residence on Sunday.
Jason Mearns, 49, faces charges of cruelty to animals in the first degree, a Class C felony, and assault in the third degree, a misdemeanor, the Kauai Police Department (KPD) said.
“On March 17, at approximately 12 p.m., officers responded to a residence on Eke Road in Koloa after it was reported that a dog had been strangled to death. According to a preliminary police report, a 35-year-old male resident of Koloa was inside his residence when he hear a loud noise coming from where his dog was kept outside,” the KPD said.
“Upon exiting the residence, the 35-year-old man found Mearns lifting his dog off the ground by its chain.”
An argument then ensued between the two men. During the course of the argument, the resident suffered an abrasion to his left forearm and multiple scrapes and bruises.
The dog, a 3-year-old terrier mix, was dead before officers arrived at the residence.
Mearns was arrested. He is being held on $20,000 bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 1 p.m. Thursday in Lihue Courtroom 2, court records show.
